On my last job I lived almost 30 miles from work.  But the hour long drive on freeways was no problem for me.  

In todays 'new and improved stay at home and communicate with only talking heads on a monitor' would drive me nuts.  The camaraderie of my engineering group was something I looked forward to when I went to work.  Today's workplace of stall with a monitor in it or a monitor on the kitchen table or a desk in the bedroom would drive me nuts.

Tell, me, when you are chatting on the monitor do you ever go off topic and talk about a new restaurant you went to or the movie or TV show you watched last night?

A group of three or four going to the break room and drawing a cup of coffee during morning or afternoon break and the back and forth banter is something I would dearly miss.

Listening to you guys talk of the new isolated solitaire work place of talking heads on monitors makes me so grateful I m retired.

Noel

12 minutes ago, birdguy said:

Tell, me, when you are chatting on the monitor do you ever go off topic and talk about a new restaurant you went to or the movie or TV show you watched last night?

All the time, yes, Noel. Once you have done a couple, it's not very different to a face to face meeting.
A group of friends and I who meet once a month, now that we can do so again, kept up with each
other on our own private Discord channel.
Anyone can create one and it was a very good second best to the real world meeting that I went to today.
No one had to travel either, as we all must do to physically meet.
So good in fact, that we now have an in-between meeting online and I am, I think, the youngest member
of the group at 69 years of age.

 

Edited June 4, 20224 yr by Reader

That seems alien to me Reader.  Talking heads on a monitor.  How do you talk to three or four people at a time while talking to the dozen who are there?  How do you move from conversation to conversation to find one you want to join in?  How do you shake hands with and look over a newcomer?

Does the monitor show a group of small people standing around in a room or talking heads arranged on a screen or is one to one and then switch to someone else?

Noel

Edited June 4, 20224 yr by birdguy

The other problem is that you can't check out the legs on the babe you're talking with. Some things just can't be replicated on a screen.

3 hours ago, Luke said:

To be honest, if anything rural, depopulating red states should be pushing WFH as hard as they can

Not sure what red states have to do with this discussion, but once again you've got your facts wrong.

California, New York, Illinois, New Jersey, and Michigan have been among the top outbound states for years.  Guess where people are moving to?  The so-called "red" states like Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, Idaho, and South Carolina.

Tennessee has had such a large influx of people from Northern States and California that housing prices have skyrocketed.

Mmmm, I wonder why? 

Dave

Edited June 4, 20224 yr by dave2013

1 hour ago, birdguy said:

That seems alien to me Reader.  Talking heads on a monitor.  How do you talk to three or four people at a time while talking to the dozen who are there?  How do you move from conversation to conversation to find one you want to join in?  How do you shake hands with and look over a newcomer?Does the monitor show a group of small people standing around in a room or talking heads arranged on a screen or is one to one and then switch to someone else?Noel

You do see everyone at once, just as you can in a room but usually only their faces, unless they direct their camera to a wider view.
Clearly you cannot mingle, as only one person can talk at once if everyone is to hear what is said.
It's not the same, no one would pretend that it is, but it remains a very useful way to communicate, which is what it is all about.

 

 

 

31 minutes ago, dave2013 said:

Not sure what red states have to do with this discussion, but once again you've got your facts wrong.

Guess where people are moving to?  The so-called "red" states like Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, Idaho, and South Carolina.

As usual, you missed the "rural and depopulating". I wouldn't describe four of those as rural, and I'd venture a good bet that 90%+ of the incoming folks are moving into urban areas.

3 hours ago, Luke said:

Inquiring minds want to know.

I have to be careful discussing certain topics, so I can't go into detail.

I think it's safe to mention this, however.

"You will own nothing and you will be happy".

If things don't change, you will know exactly what I'm talking about within a decade or so.  Maybe you will be happy, but I doubt it.

Dave

6 minutes ago, Luke said:

As usual, you missed the "rural and depopulating". I wouldn't describe four of those as rural, and I'd venture a good bet that 90%+ of the incoming folks are moving into urban areas.

They all have rural areas, as do all states.  Perhaps rural areas are depopulating, a trend which started in the early 20th century due to industrialization, but you specifically mentioned *red* states.

Dave

Ok guys, this was has run its course. Funny how some topics always draw the usual suspects into it and becomes a back and fourth. Somehow I figured this topic would some how end up in the same situation when talking about working from home or going to the office.